Have you ever seen Calcium Scale? If you live in an area where water is naturally harder, you have probably seen limestone buildup on shower heads, cookware, or a heater element. It can be very aggravating to deal with.
On another level, some public utilities also have to deal with scaling issues in the distribution system. Utilities that have poor control over their lime feed systems, or naturally hard waters, it is possible that the calcium scale can form to a point where it will slowly clog up the line, just like your arteries would clog if you continually eat unhealthy food.
Having very low calcium is a problem is well in distribution water. With naturally soft waters, you open yourself to corrosive water issues like that in Flint Michigan. Had they used a corrosion inhibitor or the RE~MIN Process, they wouldn't be in the news today.
So how do you control scale? And can it actually be good?
"Scaling in pipes can be classified as a very bad buzzword," says Hugh Burnett, VP of Burnett, Inc. "But if you look at it in another way, you can make a micro-film, or a micro-layer to protect the piping from Lead and Copper and red water issues."
"Forming a calcium carbonate saturation, just a thin layer, this is typically achieved by forming a slightly positive Langelier Saturation Index (LSI)." Hugh added, "Again, the factors affecting this is hardness, bicarbonate alkalinity, and pH. Those factors, along with balanced water and plant optimization, you can get a positive scale, but not one that is larger, that will build up and eventually close a pipe."
What is your strategy for protecting your water distribution infrastructure? Learn more about his new patented technology here.